The wedding took place in a Birmingham hotel. The bride and her father arrived in a new black American sports car. Her father looked nervous and uncomfortable in front of the cameras. The bride wore a silk wedding dress. She smiled nervously at the waiting photographers and went to a room on the first floor where she met her future husband for the very first time.
Carla Germaine and Greg Cordell were the winners of a radio station’s competition. The aim of the competition was to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other. Miss Germaine, 23, is a model. Mr. Cordell, 27, is a TV salesman. They were among the two hundred people who entered for a peculiar “experiment” organized by BMRB radio in Birmingham, England. Greg and Carla were among eight finalists who were interviewed live on radio. They took a lie detector test and the station also spoke to their friends and family about their personalities. The competition judges included an astrologer (占星家) who declared that they were suited.
The couple celebrated their wedding with a wedding breakfast and a party for 100 guests in the evening, but not everyone shared their joy. Miss Germaine’s mother looked anxious throughout the wedding and Mr. Cordell’s parents are reported to be less than delighted.
Organizations, including the marriage guidance service relate, have criticized the marriage. As one person put it, “we have enough problems getting young people to take marriage seriously without this. Marriage should always be about love.”
The couples are now on a Caribbean honeymoon followed by journalists. Their other prizes include a year’s free use of a wonderful apartment in the centre of Birmingham, and a car. But will it last?
1.What can we know about the couple from the passage?
A. The couple know each other before the wedding.
B. The bridegroom is a model and the bride is a TV salesman.
C. The bride is 4 years older than the bridegroom.
D. The couple can use an apartment free for some time as one of the prizes.
2. Some experts believe that ______ .
A. marriage without the couple’s meeting each other first ends up in divorce.
B. young people nowadays are too careless about marriage
C. taking a lie detector test can not solve all the marriage problems
D. most young people take marriage seriously except this couple
3. The goal of the competition was_______.
A. to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other
B. to win a free honeymoon
C. to win a year’s free use of a wonderful apartment
D. to make the radio station famous
4. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Two Strangers and a Wedding B. A Wedding Based on Love
C. A Short-lived Marriage D. A Well-Matched Couple
The plenary（全体） sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC)(政协) popularly known as the "two sessions"， are kicking off this week. What will be the big talking points? We have compiled some of hot topics.
Jobs
The number of jobs forecast to be created this year will be revealed at the annual session. In the past two years, despite an economic slowdown, the number of newly created jobs has increased steadily. China is promoting employment through encouraging business start-ups, cutting red tape and delegating power to lower-level governments.
Military
China's military expenditure (军费) will definitely become one of the most discussed topics during the two sessions in Western and domestic media. The question China faces is how to build and manage a stronger army in new conditions.
Pollution
"We will resolutely declare war against pollution as we declared war against poverty," said Premier Li Keqiang at the parliamentary sessions last year. A poll has showed that pollution-control and environmental protection remains one of the biggest areas of public concern ahead of the two sessions.
United States
Xi Jinping is scheduled to pay a State visit to the United States in September. Last year, China and the United States reached consensus in aspects including visa arrangements, trade and military trust. The two sides also released the landmark China U.S. Joint Announcement on Climate Change. Reporters will try to get some hints on how China and the United States will rise above their differences.
1.How many hot topics will be discussed at the “two sessions”? .
A. 4 B. 5 C. More than 4 D. Less than five
2.What can we learn from this passage?
A. In the past two years, the number of newly-created jobs has decreased because of economic slowdown.
B. As for military, China focuses on how to build and manage a stronger army in new conditions.
C. Xi Jinping paid a State visit to the United States in September last year.
D. According to Premier Li Keqiang, declaring war against pollution is more important than declaring war against poverty.
3. What does the underlined word “compile” mean? It means “ ”.
A. choose B. discuss C. raise D. collect
第一节 阅读下列短文 ，从每题所给的四个选项 （A 、B 、C 和 D ）中 ，选出最佳选项,并在题卡上将该项涂黑。(共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分)
A.
A group of graduates, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -- telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."
God brews the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee!
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.
1.What did a group of graduates talk about when they visited their old professor?
A. How to make the most delicious coffee.
B. How to choose the coffee cup.
C. The complaints about stress in work and life.
D. How to free themselves from stress of work and life.
2.What is the function of the more expensive cup from the passage?
A. It makes the coffee taste better.
B. In some cases it hides what we drink.
C. It shows people’s wealth.
D. It shows people’s status.
3.The purpose of this writing is ____________.
A. about how to complain about stress in work and life
B. to enjoy the present life and get happiness from it
C. to enjoy the coffee with expensive cups
D. to prove the power of the God
4.What’s the best title of this passage?
A. God’s Coffee. B. Drink Coffee.
C. Coffee and Work D. Coffee Cups
假如你是新华中学的学生李华，你的美国朋友Tom借给你的一本书你不慎丢失了。请你根据以下要点给他写一封道歉信：
表达歉意；2. 丢失过程； 3.补救措施。
注意： 1. 词数120左右
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Tom,
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
假段定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号()，并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的词用(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2． 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分
As a student, Li Hua works very harder at his lessons, so he is always one of the top student in our class. He loves sports very much that he makes it a rule to play the football at weekends with his friends. Li Hua is concerning about the students who are not good at their lessons, so she always helps them after class.
As a monitor, Li Hua has organized some voluntary activities successful. We visit a nursing home last month, and we pick rubbish in the park near our school every week. What we do is warmly welcomed by the community. This is how Li Hua is so popular.
Lionel Messi, _1.__ player from the South American country of Argentina, is the greatest soccer player alive today. At a young age, he _2.__(move) to Spain and now plays ___3.___(profession)for the Barcelona soccer club. Messi started playing soccer at the age of 5 for a small soccer team _4.____(own) by his father. Even as a young boy, he did very well. But when he was 11 years old, he found out he had a sickness which would prevent him from growing much 5.____(tall). There was a way to help him grow more, ___6._____his parents did not have enough money to pay for his medical needs. So, they looked around for a soccer club __7.____would be able to do this for them. The clubs in Argentina couldn’t help him, but the famous Barcelona club in Spain offered ___8.____ (accept) Messi on the junior team and pay for the bills. The Messi family happily took the offer and moved to Spain. In the Barcelona soccer club, Messi was one of the best ___9.____(play)through his teen years. Messi has surprised the world ___10.__his incredible talent. He has led Barcelona to many victories and earned his place among the greatest players ever.
